2011 APEC Transportation Ministerial Meeting
San Francisco, United States of America, on September 14, 2011, to continue our work towards a safe, secure, seamless, and sustainable transportation system in support of the Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment in our region.
The dynamism of the Asia-Pacific region has made it a driving force for growth in the world economy. As a significant economic enabler, transportation has been instrumental in our region’s recovery and resurgence following the recent economic and financial crisis. It has also been key to our preparedness, resilience and response to the tragic natural disasters which the Asia-Pacific region has suffered since we last met, including the Great East Japan Earthquake and the other extraordinary events in Australia, Chile, China, New Zealand and the United States, among others. These unpredictable events can occur anywhere at any time and have the capacity to affect us all.
We highlighted the importance of learning from past experiences, committing to ongoing improvement, and formulating a common understanding of requirements for the development of respective optimal transportation systems in order to better respond to future natural disasters in the region. In this effort, we support the important work of the APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group and others to help enable the region to better prepare for and recover from emergencies and disasters by helping to reduce the risk of disasters and building business and community resilience.
We note that at the November 2010 Ministerial Meeting in Yokohama, Japan, APEC Leaders recognized that the full potential of women to contribute to the regional economy remains unrealized. This is particularly true in transportation, a key driver of economic growth. The transportation field offers women an opportunity to combine policy and law with science, engineering and innovation. We recognize that while some women have achieved prominence in this field, stronger outreach and other measures need to be developed and implemented to ensure that APEC economies take full advantage of the abilities of current and future generations of potential women leaders. We welcome the establishment of a regular dialogue on Women in Transportation as part of the TPTWG meetings and direct the TPTWG to exchange information regarding initiatives, outreach and measures that are taken within each economy to increase the role of women in transportation; develop a compendium of best practices that member economies can adapt to their particular circumstances as they develop their own initiatives and programs; and integrate these efforts into the larger APEC dialogue and efforts on this issue.
In the fulfillment of our directives and those of our Leaders, we recognize the progress that has been achieved since our last meeting in 2009 by the Transportation Working Group (TPTWG), which this year marks its twentieth anniversary.
Promoting Green Growth and Innovation in Transportation
We emphasize the contribution of safe, secure, seamless, and sustainable transportation to the implementation of all five attributes of the APEC Leaders’ Growth Strategy: Balanced, Inclusive, Sustainable, Innovative, and Secure Growth. In this context, we recognize the contribution of “Green Growth” to the sustainable development of the APEC region.
We welcome the role of the APEC Port Services Network (APSN) in promoting greener ports, including through the Workshop on Green Ports, Collaborating for Environmental Leadership, to be held in San Francisco on September 19, 2011. We support the continuing work of the APSN and encourage all APEC member economies to participate in this important initiative in facilitating co-operation and communication amongst ports and related sectors in the region.
We also note the opportunities afforded by innovation and advanced technologies and behavior change initiatives which aid the development of more environmentally friendly transportation systems. We encourage the TPTWG to assess ways in which better use can be made of advanced and emerging technologies to reduce emissions from transport whilst continuing to maintain the sustainable growth of transportation systems.
In responding to APEC Leaders directions at Yokohama, Japan, in November 2010, to promote energy efficient transport, we direct the TPTWG to give priority to developing and promoting fuel efficient transport practices, including the use of alternative fuels as well as the development of corresponding energy efficient transport infrastructure.
We reiterate our commitment to the Action Agenda To Move APEC Toward An Energy Efficient, Sustainable, Low-Carbon Transport Future, as agreed with our APEC energy colleagues at our joint Transportation and Energy Ministerial Conference in
San Francisco, California, on September 13, 2011. In this regard, we direct the TPTWG, in collaboration with the Energy Working Group, to implement the Action Agenda in order to protect the environment and ensure sustainable, long-term growth in the region.
We encourage stronger cross-sectoral collaboration of TPTWG with other Working Groups to consolidate efforts for energy efficiency in APEC economies.
Enhancing Regulatory Cooperation
We recognize the importance to trade facilitation of aligning domestic standards to relevant international standards where possible, and collaboration in other international fora in this regard. We direct the TPTWG to enhance its cooperative efforts by focusing on concrete results to improve regulatory outcomes consistent with international obligations and with good regulatory practice.
We recognize the need for targeted transport regulatory reform and investment in transport infrastructure to improve supply chain connectivity as a key means of achieving free and open trade.
We acknowledge the importance of transportation safety and security while ensuring the facilitation of trade and movement of people and goods across the region and the world.
We instruct the TPTWG to continue its efforts to enhance transportation safety and security measures in all modes of transport, including the use of technology, human resources development and training, and sharing of best practices.
We urge economies to comply with the standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and we instruct the TPTWG to collaborate with these organizations in the areas of security, safety and the environment where appropriate.
We also urge the TPTWG to intensify activities in the field of rail and road transport security, which is regarded as an integral part of the seamless transportation of passengers and cargo by international routes
We recognize and underscore the importance of ongoing collaboration between the TPTWG and the APEC Counter-Terrorism Task Force.
We recognize that global supply chains are strategically and inherently intermodal and encompass goods, conveyances, facilities, communication services, and hubs within the entire transportation environment. This necessitates better integration among all stakeholders to ensure seamless security and enhanced facilitation across all modes. We instruct the TPTWG to collaborate with other APEC fora, the World Customs Organization (WCO), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ICAO and IMO as they continue to work toward strengthening the global supply chain.
More specifically, we instruct the TPTWG to give high priority to enhancing economies’ abilities to identify, assess, and share information on threats to transportation facilities, vehicles, people and cargo, to prevent and combat acts of unlawful interference while respecting national laws and privacy; to work toward alignment of international standards to facilitate trade and minimize vulnerabilities; and to work together and with partners on trade recovery and facilitation.
We wish to highlight the importance of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety, 2011-2020. We agree to assess opportunities to launch road safety initiatives and increase road safety efforts in our respective economies and direct the TPTWG to give high priority to address such efforts.
We also strongly encourage economies to participate in the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Standards (WP 29) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
Strengthening Regional Economic Integration
In support of APEC’s work to strengthen regional economic integration towards the promotion of free and open trade and investment, we reaffirm our commitment to promote greater liberalization within all modes of the transportation sector in the APEC region while removing barriers to trade and investment, where possible.
We note the importance of a continued commitment to the development of human capacity and other resources to support and operate a safe and efficient global supply chain system to enhance and facilitate trade.
We encourage capacity building efforts in support of the Bogor Goals through the ongoing implementation of the APEC Common Principles for Shipping Policy. We acknowledge, in particular, recent significant achievements, including the development of Guidelines Related to Liner Shipping, which are intended for voluntary adoption by economies to enhance free and open trade in the APEC region.
We also express our support for enhancing seamless interconnectivity among the modes and direct the TPTWG to continue its work to ensure the safe, secure and efficient movement of people and goods, while improving the conservation of natural resources and mitigating environmental impacts.
We particularly stress the importance of enhancing physical connectivity through reducing choke points and integrating markets through the implementation of the APEC Supply-Chain Connectivity Framework Action Plan, to which the transportation sector is a key contributor. We instruct the TPTWG to give high priority to implementing the transport-related elements of the Action Plan with a view to achieving the goal of a ten percent improvement in supply chain performance by 2015 in terms of reducing the time, cost, and uncertainty of moving goods and services through the Asia-Pacific region as committed to by APEC Leaders in 2010.
We also encourage member economies to assess ways in which transport infrastructure investments can be prioritized and further increased, including through the wider utilization of well-functioning Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
We want to maximize the potential of air services to be an enabler of commerce and economic growth. An open and liberal international aviation regime is a critical underpinning for the development of air services networks across the region. We recommend APEC Economies to evaluate the desirability of eliminating restrictions on the ability of air service providers to respond to market demands. We note the availability to explore the Multilateral Agreement on the Liberalization of International Air Transportation, to which Economies can accede or agree to be bound on a full or
all-cargo basis, and which will allow Economies to institute a liberal aviation operating environment quickly with multiple partners.
We recognize the potential that exists for the business aviation industry to have a significant positive economic impact in the APEC region. APEC economies, however, are only beginning to consider the importance of developing a network of compatible regulatory frameworks, which is essential for the operational flexibility that is the core benefit of business aviation. Major Asian centers of trade could be connected for business travelers in an unprecedented, time-saving manner. Business aviation can also serve to open the door to global commerce for smaller communities and rural populations that need access to major cities and manufacturing centers. We welcome the initiative in the TPTWG to promote and support the growth of business aviation operations, as a positive contribution to economic activity and trade in the region. We urge the TPTWG to focus expeditiously on identifying the benefits of business aviation and then working to develop and implement an APEC-wide set of agreed core principles that will apply to business aviation operations.
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Finally, we reiterate our appreciation for the work of the TPTWG which is made possible through the active and sustained cooperation of APEC member economies. We remain committed, as a community, to continuing to assist each other through the TPTWG other APEC fora and international organizations on issues of mutual concern. We agree to meet again in 2013 to continue to work towards the achievement of our goals.